Recommended Actions for the Week of 20170410

Source: Submitted by Community Member

Description: Senator Doug Ericksen successfully stripped a Whatcom County transportation project from the Senate budget. We need to call our legislators on Monday, April 10th to keep this in the House budget. Senator Ericksen claims the community doesn’t support the funding, yet it was a top priority for the Whatcom Council of Governments.

Background: This project was the top priority for Whatcom Council of Governments in 2014 because the interchange is beyond capacity and vehicles are backing up onto I-5, with adjacent traffic traveling at 70mph. This will also be a much needed east/west corridor in Whatcom County. In 2015, the legislature agreed and placed $21M in the state transportation budget. This year the funding was removed from the Senate budget under pressure from Senator Ericksen. He told other Senators that the local community doesn’t support this funding. We need to tell our Rep. Buys and Rep. VanWerven that the local community supports this through our phone calls.

Transportation improvements at Slater Road is a top priority for local government because:

• Safety: the interchange is beyond capacity and vehicles are backing up onto I-5
• Mobility: we need an east/west road in Whatcom County and this is it. Improving this corridor means people drive fewer miles to reach their destination
• Jobs: this is the main access point for workers driving to their jobs at Cherry Point and at Lummi Nation.

Suggested Script: 

Hello, my name is ____ and I’m calling because I live in the 42nd district (or Whatcom County if you live in the 40th) and I support state transportation funding for road improvements at Slater Road and I-5. I was disappointed to hear that Senator Ericksen is trying to remove this from the Senate budget. Please keep it funded. We need safety improvements and a much needed east/west corridor at Slater Road.

Contact Information:

  42nd District

• Representative Luane Van Werven: (360) 786–7980
• Representative Vincent Buys: (360) 786–7854

• Rep. Judy Clibborn, House Transportation Committee Chair: (360) 786-7926
• Senator Curtis King, Senate Transportation Committee Chair: (360) 786-7626
• Senator Steve Hobbs, Senate Transportation Committee Vice-Chair: (360) 786-7686

Source: Solar Installers of Washington

Description: Call your legislators to ask them to move forward the Solar Jobs Bill (HB1048/SB5499: “Promoting a sustainable, local renewable energy industry through modifying renewable energy system tax incentives and providing guidance for renewable energy system component recycling”).

Background: In 2016, the legislature failed to renew the solar program, and now clean energy is in danger without your support. It’s time to update Washington’s solar policy by passing the Solar Jobs Bill. Last week, 100% of the testimony provided at the Senate Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Committee’s public hearing supported the bill. Now it’s time to call your legislators to urge them to move the bill forward.

Suggested Script: 

Hello my name is _________ and I am a constituent of the ___ legislative district.

Now is the time for local action to build our clean-energy economy. I am calling to ask Representative ________ to please move the Solar Jobs bill (HB 1048/SB 5499) forward. The solar bill is important because it:

• Ensures certainty for new solar owners, and protects existing solar owners.
• Is more efficient than the old program the state is currently locked into. Without an update, the legacy program will add very few solar panels (or jobs) from now on.
• Serious solar bang for our buck: The 2017 Solar Jobs Bill, HB 1048, uses state dollars much more effectively, deploying 5x more solar per dollar than the legacy program.
• Assures our home-grown solar industry can continue to grow and hire just like the rest of the US. Nationally, the solar industry is adding jobs 12x faster than the rest of the economy. We could have that growth here in WA, but instability is causing us to miss out.

Contact Information:

Legislative Hotline (open Mon-Fri 8:00a.m.-8:00p.m.): 1-800-562-6000

  40th District

• Senator Kevin Ranker, (360) 786–7678, Kevin.Ranker@leg.wa.gov
• Representative Kristine Lytton, (360) 786–7800, Kristine.Lytton@leg.wa.gov
• Representative Jeff R. Morris, (360) 786–7970, Jeff.Morris@leg.wa.gov

  42nd District

• Senator Doug Ericksen, (360) 786–7682, Doug.Ericksen@leg.wa.gov
• Representative Luane Van Werven, (360) 786–7980, Luanne.VanWerven@leg.wa.gov
• Representative Vincent Buys, (360) 786–7854, Vincent.Buys@leg.wa.gov

Additional Information: 

• Bill Summary: HB 1048 and SB 5499
• Solar Installers of WA

Source: Pull Together

Description: If you can, donate to Pull Together to support First Nations efforts to fight the Kinder Morgan pipeline.

Background: Kinder Morgan’s pipeline and tanker project poses unacceptable risks to the Salish Sea, our climate, economies, and communities. It would lead to a 700% increase in tanker traffic. First Nations have vowed to stop it in the courts, so people are raising funds to support them. If you are able, please consider donating.

Contact Information: Click here to donate.

Additional Information: 

• Seattle Times Article: “It’s Standing Rock North…”
• Stand.earth Page: Stop Kinder Morgan
• Stand Up to Oil Page: Kinder Morgan Transmountain Pipeline

Source: Living Room Conversations and Hi From the Other Side

Description: These two organizations are recommended by Arlie Hochschild Russell, sociologist and author of “Strangers in Their Own Land.” (Hat tip to Loretta Sheldon who read the book and then reached out to Arlie for advice on how to connect across the political divide.) We’d love to hear back from you after your conversations to hear how it went.

Visit Living Room Conversations or Hi From the Other Side to learn more.